Pipe-thimble



U ITE STAT S PATENT Ormcn.

LEWIS T. HOUGHTON AND WVILLARD H. BUXTON, OF \VOROESTER,

' MASSACHUSETTS. 3

PIPE-THIMBLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,640, dated June 14, 1898.

A Application filed August 5, 1897. Serial No. 647,167. (No model.)

provement in Pipe-Thimbles, of which the following,to,g, ether with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficientlyfull, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of that class of thimbles which are employed for a protection and finish around steam heating-pipes Where such pipes pass through the" ceilings and floors of rooms or buildings and having a cylindrical part for insertion into the ceiling-opening and a flange or collar portion'for extending out upon the ceiling or floor surface.

The object of our invention is to produce amore efficient, desirable, and economical pipe-thimble;also, to provide therefor a simple, convenient, and inexpensive means for retaining the thimble in position of use.

To this end our'invention consists in the i several features of construction and improvement hereinafter specifically described and definitely claimed, a practical embodiment of such features being illustrated in the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a pipethimble embracing our invention. a plan View. Fig. 3 is a vertical section. Fig. 4 is a perspective section of the cylinder, and Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sections showing the manner of connecting the cylinder and collar-plate.

This improved thimble is composed of a c ylinder A. and collar B and is best made separable or in half-sections 1 and 2, as illustrated.

. wardly-projecting lipc at both of its longitu- The several parts are, in accordance with our invention, constructed and combined as follows: The thimble is made from thin sheet metal bent or die-stamped to the required form. The two halt-sections are joined at opposite sides on longitudinal lines or joints 3. One of said half-sections has at each side a straight outward bend, forming a'plain out- Fig. 2 is dinal edges, while the, other'halt-section has each of its corresponding edges bent outward and then returned with an inward bend, as at D, forming thereon at each side an inwardly-faced groove or pocket ('1, that fits the outwardly-projecting lip c on the opposite half-section in the manner shown, thus providing a simply-formed meeting-joint that can be readily put together and separated by sliding the parts endwise into and from each other, as indicated by dotted line, Fig. 3, and

which joints resist any lateral displacement of the sectionswhen so interlocked. The cylinder A is made of any suitable length and is formed with anarrow annular outwardlydirected flange a about its lower end. The collar Bis formed with an upward-bent flange b about its inner circle, which flange is adapted to fitinside the cylinder A, the flanges a and I), together with the cylinder and collarplates, forming a double -ply angle at the junction-line. At a short distance from said flange the collar is provided with a series of clench-pointslm, cut out from the sheet metal in radial arrangement. When thecylinder and collar are assembled, the adjacent parts of the angle-connecting joint are combined, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, or 6, with the cylinder closely fitting the outside of the circular flange 1), its outwardly-directed flange a laid flat against the plate of the collar,-and the clench-points m bent overthe outer edge and clenched down upon the top of theflange a, thereby producing a simple, inexpensive, and secure attachment between the parts A and B, which can thus be manufactured with practical facility and economy.

The clench-points m or a portion of them are preferably cut with their free ends outward and are then rolled backward over the edge of theflange a, as best indicated at m, Fig. 6, thus conveniently producing the openings I through the collar-plate, that serve as vents or passages for air into the space sur: rounding the thimble-eye.

Combined with the thimble Weprovide a spring for retaining it in position, said spring being adapted to be introduced longitudi-i nally into the pipe-opening with the cylinder A and then by its resilience to spread out laterally and take bearing upon the back of the lathing,thereby retaining the collar properly against the ceiling-surface without requiring other fastenings. This spring preferably consists of a resilient wire F bent with a semicircular curve f at its central part to match the exterior of the cylinder A,to which it is secured at either side by clips 6 cut, and bent up from the metalplate of the cylinder, as shown, the ends of said spring-wire being extended radially, as at 5.

\Vhen arranging the thimble on the pipe P, the two halves 1 and 2, while separate, are placed around the pipe and there interlocked at the joints 3 by endwise movement of one half on the other, bringing the halves of the collar 13 into the same plane. The ends of the spring-wire F are then pressed up approximately longitudinal with the cylinder, the torsional resilience of the wire permitting this to be done, and the spring and cylinder passed up through the ceiling-opening, bringing the collar to the ceiling-surface, when the ends of the wire spring outward above the ceiling G, and by taking bearing thereon serve to retain the thimble in place, as shown in Fig. 1. The thilnble can, it at any time desired, be taken down without injury by simply pulling it downward with force sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring.

The spring is arranged on the half-cylinder which has the under part of the slipjoint, and thus retains both halves in place.

What we claim as of our invention, and dcsire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a pipe-thilnble composed of a sheetmetal cylinder and sheet-metal collar-plate, the cylinder portion A having its end turned outward as a flat annular flange a, and the collar-plate B formed with the upward circular flange Z1 adapted to fit the interior of said cylinder, said flanged parts matching upon each other, as shown, with the flanges a and Z), together with the collar and cylinder-plates, forming a double-ply angle along the junction-line, and the parts secured in such connection by cleneh-points cut and turned up from the collar-plate and clenched over the edge of said annular flange, as shown and described.

2. In combination with a pipe-thimble, the retaining wire or spring having the curved portion arranged around the side of the cylinder and supported thereon by suitable clips, and having ends that project laterally therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a pipe-thiinble, the c0mbination,with two half-collar sections united by a slip-joint, and comprising the underlying part 1 having the lips c, and the overlying part 2 having the groove d, and adapted for support one upon the other; of the single spring-wire formed with the curved portion f and resilient projecting end portions 5, said springwire having its curved portion attached to the half-collar section representing the underlying part,for supporting the thimble,'substantially as set forth.

\Vitness our hands this 3d day of August, 1897.

LEWIS T. IIOUGIITON. \VILLARD II. IEUXTON. Witnesses:

SIMEoN E. KING, CHAS. II. BURLEIGIT. 

